A Singular Experience (5 images)

This morning I drove out to Lytle Ranch, which is in the extreme southwestern Utah desert. In fact, it is VERY near the Nevada border. It's a bit of an oasis in the middle of a very arid stretch dominated by joshua trees and mesquite shrub. During Spring, the wash that runs through it would be teeming with birds and other wildlife. 

This morning I was only able to add one new "life list" bird to my collection of images - a male Ladder-backed Woodpecker. Woodpeckers will "drum" on tree trunks. It's that distinctive rat-a-tat-tat sound that can lead you to them. The males sport a striking, bright red Mohawk crown. The Cornell Ornithology Lab's database shows them as living year-round in the southwest. And this tiny, low-elevation corner of Utah is the only place in this state where you'll see them. So I feel very lucky to have spotted one, and heard several.

Despite not bringing back more bird images, I had a great time exploring that unique habitat.